The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has spent more on allowances than salaries for its officers in the past three years, official data reveals. From 2021 to 2024, allowances paid to Grade 17 and above amounted to Rs. 100 million, surpassing their total salaries of Rs. 78 million during the same period.
According to details provided to Parliament, in 2021-22, PTA officers received Rs. 22.1 million in salaries, while allowances reached nearly Rs. 29.75 million. The trend continued in 2022-23, with Rs. 25.6 million paid in salaries and Rs. 34.5 million in allowances. The gap widened further in 2023-24, where salaries totaled Rs. 29.5 million, while allowances exceeded Rs. 35.5 million.
In 2023-24, PTA had 100 officers in BPS-17 and above, including 47 in BPS-17, 13 in BPS-18, 30 in BPS-19, and 10 in BPS-20. The highest-paid category, BPS-20 officers, received Rs. 3.91 million in salaries and Rs. 3.34 million in allowances. Meanwhile, BPS-19 officers earned Rs. 9.13 million in salaries but received Rs. 7.70 million in allowances. BPS-17 officers, the largest group, saw a stark contrast, with Rs. 8.95 million in salaries and Rs. 11.64 million in allowances.
Despite these high expenditures, PTA officers do not receive official vehicles, fuel allowances, or mobile allowances. Instead, BPS-19 and above officers receive monetization benefits, while BPS-17 and BPS-18 officers are given conveyance allowances. This policy aligns with the government’s austerity measures but raises concerns over the authority’s rising financial commitments.
